iPhone app: Don’t Eat That

New app helps you decipher the ingredient list on packaged foods.

There are more than 1,500 food additives and ingredients listed in the Don’t Eat That iPhone app ($1.99). This is a handy app to have with you at the grocery store. Ingredients that are listed in red are ones that you might have a concern with. Those listed in black are generally considered natural and safe.

I downloaded the app and pulled out a couple of foods from my cabinet. The package of crackers that I pulled out has a few ingredients that are questionable. Take the soy lecithin in the crackers for example. It is listed in red. According to the app it’s an emulsifier that blends two or more liquids that normally would not mix. It’s chemically derived from soybeans using hexane. Chances are the soybeans are genetically modified. Any ingredients that could be genetically modified seem to automatically get listed in red.

The tocopheral listed on a package of all-natural cereal that I pulled out is listed in black. It’s the only ingredient on the cereal that was foreign to me. Turns out, it’s a form of Vitamin E and it’s used as a preservative.

I really like this simple app. It’s one more tool I have to help me decide what to feed my family.

In addition to an alphabetical list of all ingredients in the app, there are also several useful categories that can be searched.

Problem Ingredients

Harmful to Kids

Banned Ingredients (those that have been banned in other countries)

Carcinogens

Genetically Modified

Allergies

Asthma

The creators of Don’t Eat That took their information from sources like the FDA, The European Food Safety Agency, The American Cancer Society, The World Health Organization and other reputable organizations.